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They’ve branched out from their ambulance ‘day jobs’ into new fields, demonstrating the diverse skills, knowledge and experience of our ambulance community.

In this edition of First, we’re proud to introduce you to SAAS Interim Chief Medical Officer, Dr James Doube and paramedics Anastasia Bougesis and Laura Drexler who have received Flinders University alumni awards recognising their achievements, not just in paramedicine but also outside the clinical realm.

ASAAS paramedic for 15 years, Anastasia Bougesis now combines part-time paramedic work with her role as Head of Government Relations for Disaster Relief Australia.

Disaster Relief Australia is an organisation that coordinates volunteer teams to help clean up the mess that inevitably follows natural disasters.

In recent years, Anastasia has been at the forefront of disaster relief efforts across Australia and even the British Virgin Islands where she was Mission Commander of an international mission after those islands were devastated by successive hurricanes.

“After the initial emergency services responders leave a disaster site, there is no-one else to provide the essential clean-up work that we do, especially for vulnerable residents like people with disabilities and the elderly,” says Anastasia.

Anastasia has also been instrumental in expanding DRA and gaining government funding for the organisation, and as SA Chapter Lead for the Australasian Women in Emergencies Network, she is mentoring other women and working to build a culture of acceptance and respect for women in a previously male-dominated field.

Disaster Relief Australia has a workforce of volunteers across Australia, comprising mostly military veterans and people from emergency services, including about 180 from the ambulance sector.

If you’d like to get involved, visit disasterreliefaus.org